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About Contact Us CT Blog Experts in the Media CT Library Counterterrorism Foundation Websites & Centers RSS & PDA Feeds Archives Special Hyland-Roul Series on India Special Gruen-Hyland Series on Homegrown U.S. Terrorism Counterterrorism Blog Panels: Future of Turkey-U.S. Strategic Partnership, May 19 Iran & U.S.: Outlook for Next Decade? April 15 Compañeros de Armas ("Friends in Arms"): Chavez, FARC & South America, March 19 Meta-Terror: Terrorism & the Virtual World, Feb. 29 Evolution of US Counterterrorism Policy, Feb. 12 Terrorism Litigation After Boim Decision, Jan. 28 Holy Land Foundation & Muslim Brotherhood, Dec. 11 ------------ Contributing Experts
Steven Emerson & The Investigative Project on Terrorism
Dennis Lormel Douglas Farah, Site Editor Bill West Evan Kohlmann Michael Cutler Victor Comras Michael Kraft Dr. Zachary Abuza Dr. Walid Phares Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Olivier Guitta Kenneth Conboy Aaron Mannes David Schenker Jeffrey Imm Animesh Roul Matthew Levitt Jonathan Winer Michael Jacobson Frank Hyland Roderick Jones Paul Cruickshank Farhana Ali Lorenzo Vidino Madeleine Gruen James Gordon Meek, Guest Expert Andrew Cochran, VP of GAGE Founder & Site Editor Phillip Smyth & Brett Wallace, Asst. Newslinks Editors EXPERTS' ARCHIVES & BIOS Recent Posts
Why Expand Visa Vaiver-Eligible Euro Countries When Al Qaeda Seeks Valid Euro Passports?
Hizballah Terrorist Samir Kuntar Basks in Freedom While Syria Tortures Innocent Lebanese Swiss Envoy's Relationship With FARC Under Investigation The Way Back from Islamism "Representatives" of Thai Insurgents Declare a Cease Fire. Don't Hold Your Breath. False Reports of Jihadists "Quitting" or Abandoning Islamic Supremacism NEFA Foundation Report: "The July 21, 2005 London Transport Bombings - An In-Depth Look at the Planning, Execution, and Failure of the Attack" Hizballah's "Divine Victory" Accomplished Hizballah's Military Wing Under Pressure Despite Political Gains Why Terrorists Quit: Gaining from al Qaeda's Losses Experts' Books
Walid Phares: The Confrontation and "The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy" and “Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America”
Michael Kraft & Yonah Alexander (Editors): "Evolution of U.S. Counterterrorism Policy" Douglas Farah & Zachary Abuza in Countering the Financing of Terrorism Douglas Farah: "Merchant of Death" and "Blood From Stones: The Secret Financial Network of Terror" Michael Jacobson: "The West at War: U.S. and European Counterterrorism Efforts, Post–September 11" Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: "My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir" Steven Emerson: "Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the US" and "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us" Victor Comras & Matthew Levitt (contributors): "Terrorism Financing and State Responses," Stanford University Press Matthew Levitt: "Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks" and "Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad" and "Targeting Terror: U.S. Policy toward Middle Eastern State Sponsors and Terrorist Organizations, Post-September 11" Zachary Abuza: "Political Islam and Violence in Indonesia" and "Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror" Lorenzo Vidino "Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of Global Jihad" Kenneth Conboy: "The Second Front: Inside Asia’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Network" Evan Kohlmann: "Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network" Credits
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Bill West Archives
Are There Lessons To Be Learned At USF?By Bill WestToday, Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, an Egyptian student in Tampa, Florida, entered a guilty plea in Federal Court in Tampa to one count of providing material support to terrorists. The plea stems from the case wherein he and a cohort,... KSA Coddling Continues?By Bill WestAndrew Cochran’s excellent articles below about the Islamic Saudi Academy highlight, yet again, the linkage of religious radicalism and terrorism and, in this particular case, lineage directly to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our supposed ally in the ongoing war... National Lab Security Failure - We Get What We Pay ForBy Bill WestToday, the Washington Times reported the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, that conducts research on America’s nuclear weapons and houses special nuclear material for that research, failed a crucial counter-terror security exercise (also reported in today’s CTB Newslinks section).... A Reminder About Sami Al-ArianBy Bill WestLately, we hear much from supporters of detained ex-University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian, who pleaded guilty to (was convicted of) the Federal felony violation of providing assistance and support to members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad... Palestinian Islamic “Internal Struggle” Claims Responsibility for Murdering Two Israeli GuardsBy Bill WestThe AP has reported three terrorist organizations...well, in the official PC lexicon of the Bush Administration, extremist groups...have claimed responsibility for the Friday shooting attack at a factory in Nitzanei Shalom, Israel that left two security guards dead. Among those... Lingo Voodoo Fed Style - Deja Vu All Over AgainBy Bill WestIt was the late 1970s and I was a rookie INS agent working the streets of Baltimore and the Maryland suburbs of D.C. Jimmy Carter was President. His Immigration Commissioner was a political crony from Texas named Leonel Castillo. Castillo,... Good News / Bad News Concerning US VISITBy Bill WestThe Department of Homeland Security will reportedly be issuing regulations requiring commercial airlines and cruise lines to begin collecting the biometric identifiers, notably digital fingerprints and photographs, of foreign travelers as they depart the United States. This is an effort... Euro-Jihadists and Immigration Control - Deja Voodoo All Over AgainBy Bill WestIn recent days there have been news reports relating to the CIA Director expressing concerns over terrorist operatives emanating from al-Qaeda camps in the Pakistani badlands who are Westerners traveling with European passports, able to enter the United States via... Baitfish, Barracuda and Al CaponeBy Bill WestJeff Breinholt’s excellent CTB article today, “The Value of Aggressive Enforcement,” is a strong reminder of the historically proven value of the multi-agency task force approach in targeting complex and difficult criminal organizations. This has been carried into the national... Immigration and National Security - Back To The FutureBy Bill WestTwo stories have just surfaced in the media that once again demonstrate the direct linkage of immigration issues and national security. First, we learn the FBI and DHS are concerned about the possibility of Americans or Europeans trained by al-Qaeda... Secret Evidence - Follow-upBy Bill WestA few comments following Jeff Breinholt’s excellent article concerning “secret” evidence in counter-terrorism cases, particularly since I was one of the prime-time players in the Al-Arian, et al caper that generated so much heat on the topic during the 1990s.... USA Coddles KSABy Bill WestFor those who follow the state of religious freedom, or more properly the extreme lack thereof, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and all the barbaric insanity that can and does flow from the extreme practice of Islam as... “Al Capone” Vindicated Yet AgainBy Bill WestAs the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has just reported (below), a Federal indictment against Yaser Bushnaq for naturalization fraud (18 USC 1425) was unsealed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The details of the... Another Reason To Deport Visa WaiverBy Bill WestAn article in today’s Scotsman provides yet additional ammunition in the argument against the US Visa Waiver Program. The report discusses the recruitment of up to 1500 white, non-Muslim Britons within the British prison system by al-Qaeda to be terrorist... Boston Charity Convictions - Quick Reminder, Quick GlimpseBy Bill WestAs Andy Cochran notes in his post below, Care International, Inc. officials have just been convicted in US District Court in Boston of Federal fraud and related charges. The crux of the case, as presented by the Government, stemmed from... Bhutto Assassination A Reminder This Is A Real WarBy Bill WestToday's assassination in Pakistan of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto should be a stark reminder that terrorists are engaged in a very real war against modern civilized society. Bhutto had her own ethically questionable background; but her current public political... A Very Big BatBy Bill WestWithin the past week or so, we have learned (or re-learned) the following: • al-Qaeda is recruiting western/European Muslim radicals who can easily enter Europe and the US, including those who can utilize the US Visa Waiver Program with European... Hizballah Mole Case Reflects Depth of ThreatBy Bill WestThe emerging prosecution case against the former FBI and CIA officer in Detroit who has just pleaded guilty to various Federal felonies stemming from her apparent fraudulent infiltration of those agencies demonstrates the threat posed by operatives and sympathizers of... Another Little Noticed Victory for the USGBy Bill WestOutside of central Florida (Orlando), there will be little attention paid to a ruling just handed down by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The case involves the criminal conviction appeals of two defendants convicted in 2004... Immigration Fraud and National Security Threats - Deja Vu All Over AgainBy Bill WestOn September 24, the Cybercast News Service ran a story about a GAO report issued September 21 reflecting that our Diversity Visa program was at notable risk of fraud abuse and that risk was particularly vulnerable to misuse by foreign... Underutilized Law Enforcement Tool Finally Gaining Some Traction And Can Aid CT EffortsBy Bill WestOn September 17, the Family Security Foundation ran an excellent article concerning the little known “Section 287(g)” provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). What is particularly interesting about “287(g)” is that it has existed as Federal law in... Euro-Terror Plots + Visa Waiver = Sober ReminderBy Bill WestThe past few days have realized arrests in Denmark and Germany against alleged al-Qaeda linked terror operatives suspected of plotting major attacks against Western targets, including US military facilities and personnel in Germany. Initial reports indicate at least some of... Pre-Designation Argument Is SmokeyBy Bill WestThe ongoing trial in US District court in Dallas against former officials of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) has once again surfaced defense arguments related to pre-designation of Hamas and other groups by the US Government as "officially" designated terrorist... Padilla Case Proves System WorksBy Bill WestJose Padilla and his two co-defendants in their Miami Federal terror trial have been convicted of all counts by a trial jury in US District Court today. After several months of trial, the US Government proved its case against the... Al-Qaeda Threatens US From Europe - So What Else Is New?By Bill WestThe AP is reporting the “new” intelligence concerns about Al-Qaeda operatives making their way into Europe and from there being able to readily enter the United States via the Visa Waiver program posing as or really being Euro-citizens. Do they... A Tale of Two Deportation CasesBy Bill WestThere is the enlightening, if disheartening, story of Ahmed Zaoui in New Zealand. Zaoui, an Algerian, arrived in New Zealand in 2002 traveling on a false passport and was summarily arrested and detained as an illegal alien. He sought refugee... Bangladeshi War Crimes Fugitive Deported From USBy Bill WestA former Bangladeshi army Lt. Colonel who was convicted of murdering the “founding father” of Bangladesh in a 1975 coup and who has been a wanted fugitive for that crime since his conviction in 1998, was finally (reportedly) deported from... Yet Another Reminder of the Security "Cost" of Illegal ImmigrationBy Bill WestOn June 15, the New Zealand Herald ran a story about an Algerian “refugee” the authorities there have been dealing with since he arrived in that country with a false passport in December 2002 and then requested refugee status. After... Is This What Is Meant By "Operation Iraqi Freedom?"By Bill WestMore than four years ago the United States invaded and occupied Iraq, we have been told, as part of the ongoing war against radical Islamic terror that threatens us. Clearly, the American people and our political leadership have a wide... Immigration Ramifications of the JFK PlotBy Bill WestThe take-down of the suspected radical Islamic terror cell threatening to blow up JFK airport yesterday highlights, yet again, key national security issues related to our immigration system. The alleged ringleader of the plot, Russell Defreitas, is reported to be... Immigration Ramifications of Recent Pew PollBy Bill WestSince the May 22 release of the Pew research poll findings related to views held by Muslims in America, there has been much analysis and discussion about what it all means. The information from the poll is clearly useful, and... Immigration “Reform” Will Be National Security DisasterBy Bill WestLast year it appeared we dodged the bullet when proposed immigration reforms died on “The Hill.” Unfortunately, the mad rush to “do something” has taken over the common sense of too many of our political leaders and we may actually... Thousands Of Iraqi “Refugees” May Be Coming To USBy Bill WestOn April 18, the Washington Times reported the US Government has agreed to “accept” up to twenty-five thousand Iraqi “refugees” who fled Iraq as a result of the war there. The report quoted Ellen Sauerbrey, assistant secretary of state for... Some US Diplomats & Politicians Think MB = “Moderate” Brotherhood - They Should Think TwiceBy Bill WestMuch has recently been reported, including here in the CT Blog by Andrew Cochran today, about the international Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood (MB), founded and based in Egypt, and its involvement with and support for radical fundamentalist Islamic organizations around... Border Insecurity As America Faces WMD TerrorBy Bill WestA few days ago, a rickety wooden sailboat overloaded with some 100 illegal Haitians penetrated our nation's coastal defenses in south Florida. The Haitians made landfall just north of Miami near a fire station along the beach and, thanks to... FCI Can Complement CTBy Bill WestYesterday, the Washington Times reported that Joel Brenner, the chief of the new Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, stated in an interview that America is facing substantial espionage threats from foreign intelligence services, particularly those of China, Cuba, Iran... Cuban Bio-Weps a Threat to US?By Bill WestThe Miami Herald reported Wednesday that a Cuban defector who was a Cuban army colonel in charge of their military medical services for ten years has now publicly stated the Cuban government is involved in developing and stockpiling biological weapons.... CAP Releases Its Second Terrorism Index SurveyBy Bill WestThe Center for American Progress has just released its second bi-annual “Terrorism Index” survey conducted of more than 100 foreign policy and counter-terrorism arena experts. The nonpartisan results are informative and perhaps not necessarily good news for senior policy makers... Irksome Iraq IronyBy Bill WestAndy Cochran, on February 6, posted about Iraqi member of parliament Jamal Jafaar Mohammed, who may have been convicted of terrorism crimes in Kuwait from 1984, including an attack against the US embassy there in 1983, and is alleged by... Chicago HAMAS Verdicts; Bad PassportsBy Bill WestSeveral other CTB contributors have expertly commented on yesterday’s verdicts in the Chicago HAMAS support trial wherein the two defendants were acquitted on the more serious racketeering charges and convicted of “lesser” felony obstruction violations. The defendants and their many... National Security and Immigration - No DoubtsBy Bill WestABC News has reported that al-Qaeda in Iraq may have attempted to infiltrate terrorist operatives into the United States to conduct attacks by utilizing student visas to effect entry into this country, much the same way many of the 9/11... Cleveland Imam Linked to PIJ is DeportedBy Bill WestFawaz Damra, the Cleveland Imam convicted in 2004 of lying on his naturalization documents about his links to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other radical Islamists, and who subsequently had his naturalized US citizenship revoked, was deported the other... DHS & US VISIT...Additional CommentBy Bill WestI have a few follow-up comments to my colleague Mike Cutler’s excellent posting below about the plan by DHS to abandon efforts to implement the departure control provisions of the US VISIT entry/exit border security system. Mike and I have... “Religious” Rahman Reminds Us...By Bill WestThe FBI has issued an alert to US law enforcement concerning potential terrorist attacks stemming from the possible death of imprisoned Shiekh Omar Abdel Rahman, an Egyptian Islamic cleric affiliated with the conspirators in the first World Trade Center bombing,... Have We Had Enough?By Bill WestToday, there was a story in the Ontario, California Inland Valley Daily Bulletin concerning the grossly abused and mismanaged religious worker visa program administered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).... If It Worked For Al Capone, It Can Work For Al-QaedaBy Bill WestA report today in the New York Daily News discussed the findings of a study by New York University's Center of Law and Security related to the Federal Government’s anti-terrorism investigation and prosecution efforts since the 9/11 attacks. That study... Torturer Toto Tells Terrorist Tale of Immigration WoeBy Bill WestThere was some justice given out the other day in Federal civil court in New York. Unfortunately, it received only a little notice in the media. It deserved a lot more attention. The case involved a civil lawsuit brought against... Terrorists, Traitors and CitizenshipBy Bill WestAs reported extensively in the media over the past two days, including here in the CT Blog, Adam Gadahn was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in southern California for treason and providing material support to al-Qaeda. Gadahn, a 28... GWOT LockboxBy Bill WestMore than five years out from the 9/11 attacks, our nation still grapples with who the enemy really is as much as how to fight that enemy. In this 21st Century war, America and its allies, and those allies vary... Tariq Ramadan Denied US VisaBy Bill WestTariq Ramadan, the controversial Swiss Muslim professor previously denied entry into the United States after he was offered a teaching position at Notre Dame two years ago, has officially been denied another US entry visa according to published media reports... Missouri CDL Case Demonstrates Feds Are On The JobBy Bill WestYesterday the Department of Justice announced the indictment of fifteen defendants in Federal Court in Springfield, Missouri on a sixty-two count mail fraud, false document and conspiracy indictment. The case stemmed from a multi-agency Federal, State and local investigation targeting... Something Good From the Visa Waiver Program?By Bill WestOn this fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it is reflective of how immigration law enforcement has changed since that fateful day relative to national security and counter-terrorism matters. Pre-9/11, immigration enforcement was a low-key albeit important support component of... LA Deportation Case Demonstrates Much That Is Wrong With Our Immigration “System”By Bill WestFor the past two years, the US government has been trying to deport Abdel Jabbar Hamdan, a Palestinian who the Government has charged is an illegal alien for having overstayed his nonimmigrant student visa when he first entered the United... Firebrand Islamic Cleric’s True Color Shows Through In Beirut - It’s YellowBy Bill WestOmar Bakri Mohammed, who lived in the United Kingdom for some 18 years receiving social security benefits and who pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, has been banned from returning to Britain after a trip to Lebanon last year as... A Terrorism Related Deportation Case Can Be The Victim Of SuccessBy Bill WestWhen is a successful deportation case not a successful deportation case? When the Government cannot actually deport the deportee, even after legally procuring a final removal order against the alien Respondent. This becomes particularly frustrating and troublesome when the alien... Miami Immigration Case Sets Solid Precedent For Potential Use In Terrorism & Security ArenaBy Bill WestLionel Jean-Baptiste is now a Haitian citizen who is a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. He is also a convicted drug trafficker who is detained at the Krome Detention Center near Miami, Florida pending removal (deportation) proceedings... Terror Threat On Southern Border - There Are Already Cases To Prove ItBy Bill WestThanks to IT expert and CT Blog regular reader Timothy Thompson, we learn the deportation case in Seattle against an African Muslim Imam is proving to be yet another indicator the US - Mexican border poses a very real threat... Return of Euro-Jihadis a Threat to AmericaBy Bill WestToday, the Washington Times ran a report that publicizes a threat known for some time to Western intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This is the threat posed by radical Islamic Jihadis from Europe who infiltrated into Iraq to fight with... Immigration, Fraud and TerrorBy Bill WestToday, pro-immigration law enforcement crusader Michelle Malkin posted on her Blog a stark reminder of the linkage between illegal immigration, document fraud and terrorism. With the release of the security video of the hijacked American Airlines jetliner attack on the... Sami Into The SunsetBy Bill WestToday, as reported earlier by Steve Emerson on this Blog and in other media outlets, Sami Al-Arian was sentenced in Federal court to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to one felony count linking him to support for the... Immigration Reform + "Benefits" = FailureBy Bill WestThe various immigration reform proposals being considered by Congress that contain provisions for "guest workers" or any other form of legalization/amnesty by any other name, and it really is that no matter how the politicians try to sugar-coat the semantics,... Immigration Reform Is Critical to National SecurityBy Bill WestThe national debate about how to reform and improve Americas massive immigration problems is heating up dramatically. There are many competing interests in all this that will seek their own agenda. What should be remembered are how critical immigration issues... Some Afghan Government Officials Should Be Added to the US Immigration Exclusion ListBy Bill WestToday, the New York Sun reported about the Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who is facing trial and possible execution in a court in Kabul for the heinous offense of...converting from Islam to Christianity some fifteen years ago while working as... Hamastine could become a deportation dilemmaBy Bill WestThe Tampa Tribune ran a report today about attorneys for Sameeh Hammoudeh filing a writ of habeas corpus in US District Court on his behalf. Hammoudeh is the former co-defendant of accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad US-based leader Sami Al-Arian in... Yale Taliban...This is What They Were Thinking?By Bill WestOn March 1, AFP and Yahoo News carried an article wherein a US Department of State (DOS) spokesman, Adam Ereli, claimed "there was nothing improper about giving a visa to a former spokesman for the Taliban who has been studying... What Were They Thinking?By Bill WestShortly after the 9/11 attacks President Bush could not have been clearer in stating what was supposed to be the firm American Government position concerning terrorists and terrorism supporters. He said you were either with America against terrorism or with... US Ports, the UAE and US visasBy Bill WestThere may be a number of reasons to not allow Dubai Ports World (DPW) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to take control of operations in several major US ports. Various Congressional representatives and terrorism and security experts have enumerated... Illegal Aliens Arrested Working at Chemical Weapons DepotBy Bill WestOn February 10, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that agents from its Salt Lake City, Utah field office had arrested nine suspected illegal aliens from Mexico working for a contractor on the Dugway Proving Ground located... Torturers, Terrorists and IraqBy Bill WestIn May 2004, I wrote an article concerning the potential of US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, led particularly by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), identifying and pursuing former Saddam Hussein regime operatives who served as members... US Response to the Terror State of Hamas-stan Should Include Immediate Immigration DenialBy Bill WestThe Palestinian people have voted and duly elected a government in their territories that will be dominated and controlled by an internationally recognized terrorist organization (FTO), Hamas. Realistically, Israel may quickly decide to respond to this with severe unilateral security... The ACLU and Al-Arian, Part II?By Bill WestYesterday, fellow CT Blog contributor Steve Emerson, who is also the Executive Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, wrote an outstanding article about how the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is apparently incapable of finding a Palestinian terror suspect... |